China’s soybean imports hit record high in 2025

China’s soybean imports in 2025 reached a record high of 111.83 million tonnes, driven by robust purchases from South America. This represents a 6.5% increase compared to 2024, Reuters reports, citing data from China’s customs administration.

China largely avoided importing soybeans from the US during the first half of 2025 due to high tariffs, but purchases resumed in October. China has contracted nearly 10 million tonnes of US soybeans and plans to increase its contracting.

Amid concerns about supply shortages due to the trade war with the US, Chinese buyers sharply increased their purchases of soybeans from South America last year.

“Concentrated supplies from major producers, including Brazil and Argentina, led to a sharp rise in imports in the first half of the year, helping push annual figures to a record high,” said Liu Jinlu, an agricultural researcher at Guoyuan Futures.

According to Reuters calculations, soybean shipments in December increased by 1.3% year-on-year to 8.04 million tonnes.

Earlier, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) expects another record-high soybean harvest in Brazil, at 177 million tonnes, up 3.2% from 2024/25, while exports will total 113 million tonnes, up 3.7% from the previous year.

The Brazilian association ANEC, however, offers a contrasting assessment, expecting a 10 million tonne reduction in soybean imports to China.

Tags: soybean, imports, China